Inter Alia
by Iori-chan-sempai
Summary: SPOILERS. Mostly one-sided Jin x Ragna. Jin loves his brother in several ways that aren't exactly healthy. Written for 1sentence.


#01 - Ring

The shrill clang of swords meeting is a sound Jin has grown accustomed to; it sends shivers of anticipation down his spine to curl in the pit of his stomach when his sees the hardness in Ragna's eyes.

#02 - Hero

Even as he is adopted by a great family, as he graduates at the top of his class, as he slaughters the rebels of Ikaruga until given the misnomer of 'hero', Jin can't stop thinking about how dull a monochrome his life is without his brother's warmth.

#03 - Memory

It is almost enough to make him regret what he's done, until he remembers the look on Ragna's face, the complete disbelief there as Jin leaves him in ashes to die; his screams of horror are more than enough to console Jin for everything and more.

#04 - Box

The first time Jin looks at Noel Vermillion, he wishes he had had the foresight to take Saya's body and put it in the ground, just so he could be _sure_.

#05 - Run

It doesn't matter how hard or fast he runs-- he's far too late, always too late.

#06 - Hurricane

Though it all plays out the same way it does in his visions and dreams, like he knows it will, he still can't ignore the torrent of emotions welling up at the sight of his brother, in that monster's arms, falling to his doom.

#07 - Wings

He can't fly, Ragna reminds him more than once when they are children, but even if he has known such a truth for years on end, he can't stop himself from taking that suicidal leap off the platform to follow Ragna into the Cauldron.

#08 - Cold

Jin likes winter the most, for it is the one time of year where he can curl against his brother without complaint or rejection.

#09 - Red

"You're beautiful like this, Nii-san," he whispers against Ragna's broken body, adoring how the dark blood trickling from his mouth artfully streaks his chin and stains his lips a deep red.

#10 - Drink

He tips Ragna's face upwards to taste him, to sip the blood from his mouth like a fine wine, purring deeply when Ragna groans in everything but pleasure.

#11 - Midnight

"No one is here," Jin coaxes him gently, as he rubs his hands down Ragna's chest, distracting him enough to peel the sword from his hand and let it fall to the ground with his own.

#12 - Temptation

"And I won't tell," he continues, and Ragna doesn't know how to respond when their lips are so fucking close that he can _feel it_ when Jin moans that damning word, "Nii-san."

#13 - View

He honestly hates heights, but quickly learns how to climb trees just to make Ragna look at him, either with pride at his successes or worry at his failures.

#14 - Music

Saya's music box is a gift from Ragna, and that is the only thing that keeps Jin from smashing it into pieces every time he hears the tune.

#15 - Silk

When he sees how Ragna strokes her hair without hesitation, he knows it is because Saya is a girl, the youngest, and many other variables that make so much sense to Jin's mind but absolutely none to his heart.

#16 - Cover

"It was an idea in my head, for a long time," Jin chuckles, remembering that fateful night with glee, "to set fire to Saya's bed while she slept in it-- she had fallen asleep at the pews, however, so I could only hope that the smoke killed her."

#17 - Promise

"You said you would protect her, you bastard!" Ragna slams his fist into a wall, but only Jin laughs, "You knew it was a promise I never intended to keep."

#18 - Dream

His sword slides so easily inside of Ragna's chest, blood sprays his face as Ragna gasps and breathlessly forces out words that Jin never remembers in the morning.

#19 - Candle

He feels in the dark for many years, letting his words ring out in an echo as he speaks to his brother-- if he can meet the ghost of Saya, then surely there is a way to see Ragna, in death or not.

#20 - Talent

Ragna shakes his head furiously at Jin's ramblings and starts to laugh a little; Jin doesn't think it is a good sign, and proves to be right as Ragna says, "You've always been great at pissing me off, Jin."

#21 - Silence

At that, Jin looks a little hurt, but before he can speak in retaliation, Ragna growls out, "No, you had your turn to talk, so now it's time to shut the hell up!"

#22 - Journey

Ragna bites his lip and shakes his head, trembling just barely, "Do you know what I've been through because of you, because of what you did back then?!"

#23 - Fire

The fire in the glare of Ragna's eyes is met by Jin's cool green eyes, now hardened as he grips the hilt of his sword and grins oddly, "Don't worry, Nii-san, I can make all of it fade away."

#24 - Strength

Ragna grabs for his sword, foolishly discarded at the start of their conversation, but Jin is fast, already upon him and slamming him into the marble floor; Jin straddles him, flattening against him and gripping so tightly onto his wrists that Ragna knows he'll have a bruise.

#25 - Mask

Ragna gulps as he feels something hard dig into his stomach and struggles, fruitlessly, because when Jin is serious, he is fucking serious, and Jin is-- Ragna can tell by shape of his eyes as he looks at him and says, "Why are you always restraining yourself?"

#26 - Ice

Ragna manages to scoff, "Says the one restraining me," before the hands at his wrists turn cold; the instant they withdraw, a chunk of ice effortlessly keeps him in place, prompting him to realize the truth of his situation as his eyes widen, "Shit, Jin-- what the fuck are you doing!?"

#27 - Fall

Ragna tries not to think of anything as those hands wander, slowly stripping him, caressing him through each layer of fabric as though preparing to savor a long-awaited dish; he tries not to think of anything, but in the absence of active thought, there is a long, resounding _Yes_.

#28 - Forgotten

The problem, Jin muses when sees the blood on his hands and the spot where he swears Noel Vermillion had been standing, is that Ragna would never forget her-- but that was no matter, he would make him forget, and think only of him.

#29 - Dance

"I killed a girl who looked just like her!" he laughs, nearly hysterical, loving how Ragna grows even more disapproving of him, and how it seeps into his steps, reminding Jin again how wonderfully different they are from each other.

#30 - Body

Ragna falters and it leaves him open for the sweeping slash that he manages to sidestep at the last moment, but it cuts through his jacket, splitting his shirt open; Jin reaches forward-- with such distraction that Ragna doesn't bother to repel him-- and trails a gloved finger down the scar on his chest.

#31 - Sacred

As he grows older, Jin comes to realize that all of his sins are born from the lust that took root inside the house of God himself.

#32 - Farewells

Jin doesn't want to say goodbye to his brother, ever, but more than once he accepts that if Ragna is not going to look at him, then perhaps it is best if he can not see at all.

#33 - World

While Jin lives in the academy, Ragna travels the world, in search of answers he doesn't think will ever come.

#34 - Formal

"You don't have to be so formal," her oldest brother says, so Saya experimentally calls him "Nii-chan"-- Ragna smiles at her widely, but the glare she receives from Jin is enough to make her never try it again.

#35 - Fever

Saya is sick again and Jin can tell without asking; he just has to grab his brother's arm and Ragna will immediately apologize for the nth time that he has to break another of his promises.

#36 - Laugh

His throat feels raw as he manages to gasp out, "Ragna, you're alive, you're alive and you're coming to see me," in between fits of loud laughter that make him realize just how long it has been since he has done anything of the sort.

#37 - Lies

Ragna shouts that he'll never forgive him before their blades clash, but Jin can only call him an idiot-- he can tell that Ragna doesn't mean it, by the quiver in his arm and the lack of intent to do him any real harm.

#38 - Forever

Ragna's sword goes flying into the wall and he quickly follows, Jin pressing against him firmly, the smile gone from his face, as he says the words Ragna has always been dreading: "I love you, Nii-san."

#39 - Overwhelmed

They have the same terrible weight that he always knew they would.

#40 - Whisper

When Jin settles on his lap for the first time, sheathing Ragna inside himself with a moan of, "You feel even better than I imagined," the sweet sensation prevents Ragna from stopping himself before he murmurs, "You do, too."

#41 - Wait

Hakumen can feel the vices of mankind flooding him like a black fog once he steps from the Edge, but when he finally finds Ragna, he can name his sins from the scent alone.

#42 - Talk

"Next to your unfounded wrath, is a lust, incestuous in nature," Hakumen says, the condemnation in his tone prompting Ragna to stiffen, "It's not a sin if I haven't committed it," he protests-- even though Hakumen laughs at such a primitive way of denying guilt, a part of himself that he has trouble recognizing wishes that he had known.

#43 - Search

Yukianesa pierces through Ragna's left shoulder, pinning him to the wall; Jin's face fills with a misty regret as he traces the outline of Ragna's right arm, trying to find the point where soft flesh gives way to silicon wrapped metal.

#44 - Hope

"I always thought we still had a chance, Nii-san," he says finally, then stares up into Ragna's eyes; once he sees the rejection in them, Jin swallows loudly, his expression growing grim as he pulls Yukianesa from Ragna's flesh, "But I guess I was wrong."

#45 - Eclipse

Ragna cannot fathom what is so scary about the moon until his flaws and fears are effortlessly spoken aloud by someone else--even in the dark, the moon didn't feel a thing about exposing anyone.

#46 - Gravity

It must be fate that draws Ragna to him again, and the notion sends a fluttering motion to Jin's heart-- he wonders if Ragna has heard as much about him as the reverse, but he never once thinks about whether his brother hates him for what he did.

#47 - Highway

Ragna snorts lowly when he sees a motorcycle parked next to the small inn and, running a hand over its leather seat, reminisces about the time when his younger brother would fawn over such machines and beg for Ragna to buy him one once he was old enough.

#48 - Unknown

"You don't know what's in there!" Jin remembers saying before Ragna is slaughtered in front of his very eyes; it doesn't happen in this life, but it feels so real that he cannot ignore it.

#49 - Lock

The door opens, finally, and Jin prepares himself for the worst-- to see that thing with her arms wrapped around his brother and her blade run through his chest-- but what he gets instead sends him reeling: Noel Vermillion crying hysterically on Ragna's chest, hair down and looking far too familiar.

#50 - Breathe

Jin can tell by Ragna's expression that he's thinking the same thing Jin did years ago ("Saya, is that you?"), but he turns and walks away before he can see anything else; he takes a deep breath as the door closes behind him, applauding her in his mind ("You've done it again, you've stolen him away from me before I could even close my fingers around him."), not realizing how the tears on his cheeks have frozen or that his footprints are now in snow.


End file.
